Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-29
PATRONS OF aUsBANDRv.
MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.

MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.
The President has appointed the mem.
bers of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. The Lawyers are well repre-.
scented, but 1t Is to be hoped that they
will act fairly and administer the new
law In the best interests of all concern
ell. 1t has been interesting to note how
many conventions and meetings Of rail-
road officials have lately been held TO
"interpret" and "construe" this law.
These meetings have been held in all
parts of the country, and railroad law
yefs and attorneys have. Of course, I'm.
terpreted" aud defined" the law in as
Favorable" light rs possible for the
corporations affected. Itwould be wei.
II the farmers, who, most OF all, are In
terested, would also hold meetings, and
discuss the Interstate Commerce law.
Every Grange could profltably make IL
u subject for consideration for several
meetings, study 1t thoroughly, UNDER
stand all its provisions, and so become
armed with the weapons Of truth and
knowledge. Already the signs seem to
point to efforts being made TO have the
law appear ridiculous. to make 1t OPP
pressive, to keep before the public Its
"hardships." etc., and, without doubt,
for some time at least, many complaints
will be announced by the assertion that
-"It is all the work of the Inter.Stat
Commerce law"
The favorable action Of Congress on
the Interstate Commerce bill has slim
ulated tn. people, and particularly farm
ers, to make new exertion, with "A hope
for permanent aud final relief from un-
fair aud unequal management of rail.
roads. The Farmers Assembly" Of
Virginia in its session Of February last,
was out-poken in this direction in lis
rlaiform so unanimously adopted. A
few blanks from this platform are OF
general interest and are worthy Of adop-
ton aud action by the farmers Of other
States a, well.
Section 3 reads; "That railroads are
highways opened by the laws and au-
thority of the State for the convenience
and reasonable accommodation of the
people of the State, and are moi made
solely for the pleasure or benefit of the
corporations who operate them; that
The State in granting such franchises
acts as a trustee for the people Of the
State aud as such trustee Is bound to see
that the terms of the trust are strictly
carried out, and whenever there Is an
effort on the part of such corporations
to use their franchises against the fair
interests of the people of the State, then
it becomes the duty of the State by
proper legislation to interpose for the
protection of her people. We therefore
demand that the Legislature Of the
State shall pass such laws as will pro-
hibit discrimination by railroads be-
tween localities and individuals. requir-
lug the publication of their tariff of
rates. and enforcing these and other
measures of needed relief by adequate
penalties and agencies
Section says: "Tnat we en- lorse the
measure lately passed by Congress,
known as the Interstate Commerce bill,
rs step in the right direction, giving
the producers aud shippers Of the coun-
try this measure of relief; that the
power to discriminate between persons
and localities claimed by railroad man.
ayers, their Hobbies, agents and attor-
news, is but another device for taxing
one class for the support of another;
that neither the State nor the Federal
Government possess such power, and
are therefore incapable Of delegating 1t
20 the railroads; that the exercise of
such a power by the creature Of the
State is, i'm effect, to take value from
the land and products in one section
and bestow the same value upon
another"
We call upon our State Legislature to
be vigilant ia restricting, with proper
limitations, the charters to be hereafter
granted to corporations; that charters
TO railroad companies should rigidly
restrict them to the business of common
carriers; that they should be prohibited
absolutely from owning, directly or in
directly, real or personal property other
than that actually necessary for their
business of common carriers; that we
regard the system now practiced BY
certain railroad companies of buying
ur, so as to monopolize, the coal and
other mineral lands Of the country, as
pregnant with the greatest evil; that to
corner fuel would be scarcely less dis
asrrous than to corner b. cad, and would
place the consumer at the mercy of mo-
nopoly in the price to be paid for this